80 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 
which, unless assisted by the members of the bureau, he 
would be greatly handicapped. The work of answering 
letters has greatly increased in the last five years, and the 
demands on the time of those engaged in it have been 
greatly multiplied. This has affected all members of the 
staff but it is very satisfactory to record that the letters in 
reply to inquiries are treated with the greatest respect and 
are looked upon as authoritative by the recipients. 
When in Washington the chief has attended all meetings 
of the advisory committee on publications and one or two 
other committees to which he has been appointed. He has 
likewise accepted the welcome duty of keeping in touch 
with all the archeological expeditions from different insti- 
tutions working on ruins in the area of the United States 
in order that he might intelligently advise action to the 
secretary on the requests for permits to carry on archeological 
excavations which each year are increasing in numbers. 
The chief has made strenuous efforts to continue his 
studies of previous summers on the Mesa Verde National 
Park in cooperation with the National Park Service of the 
Department of the Interior. In July, August, and a part 
of September he was absent from Washington and com- 
pleted the excavation of Pipe Shrine House, a building in 
the Mummy Lake group of mounds. An account of the 
initiation of this work appeared in the report for last year. 
This exceptional ruin was completely repaired and is now 
open for inspection of visitors. 
The excavation and repair of a circular tower situated 300 
feet from Far View House also engaged his attention from 
the middle of July until the close of the season. The mound 
of stones covering this ruin was known as far back as 1915, 
but its hidden building was not revealed until the close of 
June of the summer of 1922, when it was found to be a tower 
with three subterranean rooms, called kivas, which were 
evidently used for ceremonial purposes. Around these 
rooms was formerly a crowded cemetery, of ancient date, 
which led him to regard the whole area as a necropolis. 
The number of interments was too large for the number of 
dwellings. The three kivas belong to the highest type of 
